PoloDriver

With the first cars soon to arrive in the UK, Volkswagen is showcasing four more new versions of its award-winning Up city car at the Geneva motor show next week. The design studies follow on from the six concepts at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, and show which direction the car could be heading next. First up (!) is the ‘Swiss Up’ (we’re still refraining from using Volkswagen’s silly up! spelling) which features unique Swiss flag-inspired red and white paintwork, white dashboard wih red air vent bezels, and a leather and across the back of each seat for (and we kid you not), a Swiss Army Knife.

The Pure White and Malibu Blue ‘Winter Up’ is based on the ‘Cross Up’ concept from last autumn and, is, according to Volkswagen, ‘all set for the ski slopes’ with its roof-mounted snowboards, raised ride height and underbody protection. The ‘X Up’ is also Cross Up-based, but features a roof box with in-built searchlights and a non-subtle Burnt Orange exterior paint finish. Finally, the ‘Cargo Up’ is a modern incarnation of the popular Polo Van of the 1980s. With body-coloured rear windows, a 1400-litre (426kg) payload and a half-plexiglass rear bulkhead behind the front seats, it’s ready for some load-bay action. With prototypes of the 108bhp GT Up also getting rave reviews in the motoring press, it seems to be all about Volkswagen’s ‘cleverly compact’ stylish city car at the moment.

Adding to its awards haul, this week the Up was crowned the ‘Best City Car’ by CarBuyer, while BlueMotion Technology also now makes its way into the Up range, as VW has announced environmentally-friendly features, at least in Europe. Both existing 1.0-litre engines can now be specified with a Stop/Start system, battery generation, which, with a lowered ride height, contribute to lower 96 and 98g/km CO2 emissions from the 59 and 74bhp engines respectively. Costing €400 extra, the package arrives with the advent of a panoramic sunroof at €880 and a ‘leatherette’ pack for €760.